Krzysztof Jarzebski, center, in red shirt, with members of his support team and the Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program, which loaned the Paralympic athlete a hand-cranked bicycle to replace one stolen in San Francisco on June 8, 2012.

A Berkeley nonprofit has loaned a specialized, hand-cranked bicycle to a Polish Paralympics athlete, enabling the double amputee whose custom-made cycle was stolen last week in San Francisco to embark on a ride across the United States.

Krzysztof Jarzebski got his new wheels from the Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program on Saturday. The cancer survivor was shuttled to Reno and began the first stretch of his cross-country journey to New York later that day.

Jarzebski's $13,000, hand-cranked cycle was stolen Thursday from the rectory quarters of a Hayes Valley church where he was staying. It has not been recovered.

The Berkeley nonprofit that loaned him his new, $5,000 wheels provides hand cycles to people with physical disabilities for use on East Bay bike trails. It also holds Paralympic events including wheelchair basketball, power soccer and sled hockey.

The program's cycling manager, Greg Milano, said Monday that his group was happy to help get the athlete on the road.

"The route is pretty ambitious," Milano said. "I was super impressed at what he's trying to do."

Jarzebski, 53, lost his legs to cancer in 1991 after serving in an elite unit of the Polish Navy. He has ridden all around Europe on hand-cranked bicycles.

He rode his purple loaner up and down the street before pronouncing it suitable, Milano said.

"He was crying at a certain point," Milano said. "Communication was difficult" because of the language barrier, he added, but Jarzebski and his support team were "just super-stoked to get back on the road."